And a White Picket Fence
by TheWritersAnnux
Summary: Being a loving widower of two children was easy. Being a widower of two children and the only superhero in town, while keeping everyone safe from the clutches of the local supervillian, Professor Dreamweaver, ignoring the heinous rumors spread about his hero self, and falling in love, was not. And did he say two children? He meant one.
1. Answer a Few Questions, Please?

"Alright, sweetie! Come to Daddy!" a playful, warm voice of a happy Father rang out as he knelt down, arms open wide. He couldn't help it! Teaching his precious little peach how to walk was his dream! Well, among other things to be honest! He had already done this once with her older brother - he just couldn't help but do it again!

This was Alfred F. Jones, a proud father of now two beautiful children! Armel, his eldest son and his only son to be perfectly honest (he was sure he would know if he had any other!) And his cute, precious little peach; Françoise~ She was a sweet as a pie - not just a peach pie! Like maybe blueberry! Or apple!

She had beautiful blonde, long curls - maybe not curls! More like waves! Very different from her brother with his straight, shorter hair that went to his shoulders, and his bangs that almost went down past his eyes! Oh, and both of them had vibrant blue eyes! Anyways, Françoise's hair was up into ponytails so that way if she tried running quickly, or flying, or whatever her big superpower was, it wouldn't get in the way!

Superpower, you may ask? Well, that was easy to explain! You see, certain people in the world are superheroes, right? Well, Alfred F. Jones and his family were on he of those types of people! By day, he and his family were the Jones', but by night, he was "The Hero"! Yeah! Just, "The Hero"! He knew that it was a rather vague title, and that it didn't tell anyone what his super power was, but that's just it! It made his true powers a surprise that no one really understood or knew~

As for his children, lovable and impressionable Armel was, "Mr. Multiple" and could clone himself! How confusing and cool was that?! Trust Alfred - it was a lot more insane when he was younger, and had poor control of his powers! How would you like to try to catch him and put him to bed and find ten of him running around?!

And lastly, his precious little peach had… Some sort of power? He still hadn't figured it out yet! He supposed she was some sort of late bloomer at this rate, but… Maybe he was being a bit _harsh. _She was only about a year old! He probably wouldn't know till she was a few years older.

Anywho, Alfred was very happy to share the life of a superhero with his children and teach them the wonder and happiness of helping others! It caused him great joy to see his little boy's face light up whenever he talked about helping his own citizens when he's all grown up, and he was sure Françoise would feel just the same~ He only wished his arch-nemesis wouldn't cut his time short with them! That evil Professor Dreamweaver, always causing chaos and problems! His powers included being able to make people see anything that he desires, which can range from wonderful, happy things to deranged, horrifying things! It's a great distraction, sadly, and it usually allows him to get away with a lot. Until _The Hero,_ arrives! And kicks his creppy ass!

What creeps Alfred out the most about this villain, though, is that he's always found around children! What was he?! Some sort of deranged child molester?! Harming children was an all time low for anyone! He wasn't sure _what_ kind of freaky things he makes those children see to make them run up and _hug him_, but Alfred always put a stop to them before he could take any of them away!

Oddly enough, though, sometimes when he takes the child away from Professor Snooty-Pants, especially if it was an orphan that time, they start crying and telling _him_, The Hero, to let them go and that they _want_ to go with the villain guy! It only enforced how evil this man was, right? Casting an evil influence over the vulnerability of children! If that bloody blasted bastard of a Brit, (now try saying that ten times fast) decided to take both his children, he would knock his creeper-rific lights into next week! Or year! Or the next _ten years!_  
But, he shouldn't think of him right now! His little pumpkin was walking into his arms~

Or, at least, she was until the doorbell rang and she fell from surprise.

Causing him to squeak and scoop up his precious little girl in his arms and rush over to the door. "Coming! Just gotta make sure my kid doesn't bust open her head!"

"That's quite all right!" A British voice called. It sounded almost familiar… but the only British person he knew was his nemesis! Though, their accents did sound all the same, right? So it was just a coincidence! Maybe it was one of those wonderful boy scouts or something! Who knew! He just hoped they had cookies!

Cheerily, he opened the door and held Françoise tightly, rocking her and asking with a singsong chirp, "Yeeessss?! This is Alfred F. Jones speaking -!"  
"Oh, what a cute little girl!" the stranger immediately complimented. He had messy, blonde hair, emerald green eyes, and was dressed in green tweed suit, much fancier than the outfit Alfred was wearing - which were some pajamas, along with his little girl who was in frilly, pink night gown. Oh, and not to forget to mention, but this guy had _huge_ eyebrows!

He looked like something!

Something…. A-a- No! Not that! He wasn't going to think about it _that way! _Swallowing shakily, Alfred gave a weak laugh and gave a nod, "T-thank you, dude - you can thank my wife for her looks!"

And as he said that, his sweet little girl gave a giggle and reached out to try and grasp the man's hands, "Ba! Ba!" She seemed to want to pull the Brit close!

Causing Alfred much amusement as he chuckled and pinched Françoise's cheeks, leaning in to babble to her, "Who is such a sweet little squirrel?! You are! You are!" which made her laugh and wiggle about.

"C-can I…" the stranger seemed nervous and fidgety as he glanced away, a light blush on his cheeks. "... Hold her?"

Alfred couldn't help but feel himself tighten at that ador- h-he meant,_ sincere _look on this young man's face! Y-yes! That's why he was blushing a bit and handing over his baby to this perfectly sane and normal stranger, "W-why of course! She seems to love you!"

The man seemed to blush more at that and gave a loving smile as he took Françoise. "Th-thanks… I love children. They're so young and innocent." He smiled at Alfred. "Which I'm sure you already realize, being a father and all!"

Françoise gave another cute laugh and grasped the Brit's hair, trying to pull it down into her mouth as she cooed and babbled, "Wa, wa wa….!"

Which of course made Alfred laugh as he leaned in and kissed his daughter's cheek lovingly and took her hands in his. "No, no, no, dear~ We don't eat people~"

The stranger chuckled and smiled at Alfred again. "You're a great father, Mr. Jones. Oh!" He laughed. "Do forgive me! Let me introduce myself - I'm Arthur Kirkland, a journalist for Metro-News. I'm here to ask you a few questions."

Alfred turned his head to lock eyes with Arthur. Chuckling, he gave a Hollywood type grin and nodded. "Oh, sure! Go ahead! I'd love to do an interview!" He turned to his daughter and pinched her cheeks again, causing her to wiggle about in Arthur's arms. "Wouldn't we, dear~"

Arthur laughed a little more at that. "Wonderful. May I please come inside, sir?"

Alfred smiled brightly - like a star piercing the black veil of night, and let Arthur inside, also letting him continue to hold his daughter. "Oh, yes! Oh, yes! I would _love_ you to -!" till his words caught in his throat and he felt himself blushing like mad. D-did he just say _love_?! Why had he said that?!

Luckily Arthur didn't seem to find anything weird with him saying that as he strolled in and walked over to sit on the couch, holding Françoise securely in his lap. "Excellent! This is just a relaxed interview - more of a survey, really!" He cleared his throat a little. "The newspaper wants to gain more information on how the public views the "super" activity in the city - whether or not it scares people or would make them want to move and such. So, first question: Do you perceive "Professor Dreamweaver" to be a threat to the city? Why do or don't you?"

Alfred couldn't help but revel in the irony of the situation~ Here was this mere human, asking him about the work that "supers" did~ Well, he reveled in irony at first, till Arthur mentioned his arch nemesis, causing him to stiffen.

Stiffen and clench his fists… And then furrow his brows, scowl, and snarl in the back of his throat, causing his poor, sweet pea to shiver and look ready to cry as she heard her Father start to dive into a long winded rant, "Professor Dreamweaver? Professor… _Dreamweaver?_" His eye twitched then as he leaned forward, locking eyes with Arthur in the most tense, dramatic fashion you could think of, "That _bastard_, did you mean to say?"

"..." Arthur actually seemed a bit nervous now and tightened his hold on Françoise; Alfred was so caught up in his dramatics that he didn't notice when his little girl oddly… smiled, as if nothing was wrong. "As someone from the press, I am not allowed to discuss my personal views with my clients… Please just answer the question, Mr. Jones."

Sitting up rim-rod straight, Alfred pursed his lips into a tight, thin line and started out his answer in a quiet, warning type of tone, "Professor… _Dreamweaver_, as you've asked me about…." his nostrils began to flare, his knuckles turning white as his fists tightened, "is a _huge_ threat. He targets _children_," at that he darted to Arthur and placed his hands on his shoulders, sandwiching his daughter between them both. Locking eyes with Arthur, he grit his teeth and hissed out, "Children, sir - like my _innocent_ daughter!" He then released Arthur and stomped about, now yelling his head off, "Innocent _children_ who can't protect themselves?! He preys upon them, tries to kidnap them, a-and-" he ran a hand down his face and gave a screech, now shaking, "And for _what_?!"

Shaking… He was still shaking… Out of anger…. Rage… Resentment… _Fear_.

But he would never admit that to _anyone_.

"... I'm sorry to have upset you, sir," Arthur said his voice quiet and his eyes trained to the ground. "So, you don't believe that "The Hero" is doing a well enough job fighting against him?"

Ah, so there was that familiar irony again.

Covering his eyes, Alfred gave a strained, little chuckle and sighed a little. "Oh no… He _is_ doing his job. That _bastard_ just won't stop."

"... I see." Arthur let out a breath and actually took out a little notebook from his front pocket. "I suppose this is a pointless question, but the newspaper has picked up rumors of the "bastard" as you call him actually converting to heroism once he gets a child… do you believe in such things?"

Alfred gave a bitter laugh at that and shook his head, rolling his eyes and starting to pace around. "Him? Ha! _Never!_" He clenched his fists. "If he got a child, he would _torture_ it or _molest_ it or something!"

"... And," Arthur started writing something down, his face painfully trying to show no emotion, though Alfred didn't notice in his rage. "Why do you believe this so strongly?"

Alfred paused in his pacing, standing with his back facing Arthur. Covering his face in his hands, he felt tears start to come to his eyes as he choked out, "Because… What if I wake up one morning and my little princess is _missing?_" He swallowed thickly. "And it's because of _him?_"

For the first time in a long time, Alfred's two story home with the idealistic white picket fence around each side was silent.

"... So, you feel in danger in Metroville?" Arthur asked quietly after a while. "Would you consider moving, or have already thought of doing so?"

"_Never_," Alfred answered swiftly as he slowly turned back around with a deadset, determined look on his face. "I was here _first_, and I won't let some child stealing, torturing, and molesting _bastard _keep me out of my town!"

Arthur visibly winced at that last part. "What makes you think he's a child molester?" he asked, though he quickly added, "There… are also rumors that this villain is really just a lonely, crazed man and should be placed in a mental hospital instead."

Alfred narrowed his eyes and walked over slowly, "What makes me think _that_?" he locked eyes once more with Arthur, with looks that could kill. "The way he preys on children and gives them nightmares or tries to carry them away is one reason… And as for the _rumor_…" Alfred sneered and then laughed coldly, causing Françoise to start to whimper and tear up. "More than true I bet - but I say that he needs not only locked up," he then cried out vengefully, "But _executed!_"

Once again, Arthur tightened his hold on Françoise, which seemed to calm her down somehow. "Well, now that you brought it up…" he mumbled, "do you, as a citizen, believe in capital punishment?" He seemed to almost want to change the subject entirely.

And the interview continued on like that. Questions about Professor Dreamweaver, about the law, about The Hero… And it… Made Arthur feel…

Depressed, to say the least. Sometimes he really hated being a journalist. Luckily, the interview ended fairly quickly, and Arthur stood up to shake his hand. "W-well, it was nice… conversing with you, Mr. Jones." He seemed more than just a little bit uncomfortable; if Alfred asked, he'd simply say he didn't like death even for the most heinous of people. It wasn't uncommon to take that stance. "I suppose I'll take my leave now. Metro-News thanks you for your contribution."

Alfred seemed to be fully calm now as he laughed and made a move to take his daughter back. "Oh, sure! Come and visit me any time you like!" It almost made him pause in his motion to take his daughter back as he couldn't help but blush at the suggestion. What?! I-it seemed to be a bit interpersonal to him, alright?! And his wife had just _died!_ I-it was wrong to look at others so soon -!

Arthur simply seemed amused by the suggestion though, tickling Françoise's tummy and smiling at her - making no moves to give her back just yet. "I… might just take you up on that, Mr. Jones."

Before Alfred could answer, the wall his couch was backed up against crashed down. Arthur screamed, and Alfred barely managed to get them out of the way so they wouldn't be crushed. What the hell?! Why did -

Alfred gasped when he looked up at his fallen wall. Upon closer inspection, it seemed that the culprit was none other than Professor Dreamweaver!

"Hello, _Hero_," he sneered the words, that evil smirk of his taunting him, that black mask that covered everything except his eyes and mouth full of nothing but pure darkness, and that dirty, messy, blonde hair looking like an ensnaring tangle of weeds. "Having fun~?"

Alfred gaped in pure surprise. His… Worst enemy…. H-had found his home? And… and…. and was going…. to….

Not even thinking, Alfred aimed a heavy handed, destructive punch at the Professor's face, his fist now covered in a shining, painful looking, spiked metal _glove. _All part of the costume! For you see, it packed a punch with his super strength! And in this case -

Would _knock_ this bastard's lights out!

And it worked, too! He knocked the bastard back out of the hole he had created, but unfortunately, the bastard had hung on to the edge and pulled himself back in. Alfred could still gain _some_ satisfaction from seeing him look in incredible pain from his punch, though. "Y-you think _that's_ all it'll take to stop me?!" He grinned and held his hand out. "Eat spiders, _Hero!_" His hand shot spiders at him; they seemed so real, crawling all around him, biting at him, filling his body with poison, etc., but he knew by now that it was just an illusion - he had faced him so many times before.

Yet, it didn't stop him from screaming. Screaming out of pain, screaming out of _fear_. What if the bastard did this sort of thing to his _children_ next, to get even?! What would he do?!

He heard Professor Dreamweaver's diabolical laughter. Barely being able to look at him out of the corner of his eyes through the spiders, he managed to see him walking over to Arthur and his daughter…! They both looked terrified! He, he had to save them!

Yet… He felt as though his body was paralyzed. Like he couldn't move…. And that…. His-his new friend and his daughter, they soon wouldn't able to feel anything either, a-and -

That's why he gave out a feral scream, and everything started fading to black. His eyes zoned out, and when they focused again the spiders were gone. But something was horribly, horribly wrong. The hole in his house was missing, along with Professor Dreamweaver, Arthur, and…

His daughter.

She was nowhere to be found.

* * *

**Author's note, Annzy B.**: I hope you enjoy this latest endeavor of Knux's and mine, that started with her very own dream! (Just like Twilight *shot* XD)

**Author's note, TheGuardianKnux**: Uh, not really sure how that's like Twilight but okay. XD Anyways, here's the first story we have ever finished together ever - yeah, we write these things ahead of time. Anyways, this has been pretty fun to work on and we have a little surprise planned afterwards but I'm not telling anything about it now so there. THERE. Oh, and make sure to comment and leave a review! I hope everyone enjoys this little tale and everything else that's to come! 8D Because it's going to be a wild ride~

**Annzy**: Oh, most definitely XD Anyway, I really enjoyed writing this with her and would appreciate any comments ^^ More drama is coming your way! On the next installment of "And a White Picket Fence"~


	2. Home, Sweet Home!

The streets of Metroville, Wisconsin were always busy on a Saturday afternoon, but it seemed they were especially busy today. It felt as if you couldn't take two steps without bumping into someone! Last everyone checked, their city wasn't this populated, was it?! Well, truth be told, it _wasn't_ that populated - really, it was the work of one man who made it seem so busy.

By night, he was known as "Professor Dreamweaver," a heinous villain who preyed upon children and struck fear into even the bravest of hearts by use of mind manipulation. By day, however… he was simply known as Arthur Kirkland, a journalist for Metro-News.

"That was possibly the most tense moment of my life…" he mumbled to himself as he walked through the actually not-so-busy streets. He was simply making everyone think they were bumping into people so he could walk faster through the town - it was sort of a defense mechanism he had picked up during school so people wouldn't notice him. And, right now, he definitely didn't want people to notice him, as, well…

He was currently carrying The Hero's baby.

… Don't give him that look.

Kidnapping the girl had actually been exceptionally easy; simply do his job at first and interview "The Hero" (who he had figured out to be Alfred F. Jones a _long_ time ago), and then bring in his alter ego as an illusion and run out with the girl while Alfred was distracted! Utterly brilliant!

The only thing he had hated about his plan was that awful, horrible interview. It was the only thing that bothered him about being a journalist - having to hear how everyone hated his counterpart… He had never heard _that_ violent of a reaction before, but what was he supposed to expect from his arch nemesis?! Of course he'd want him dead! He just hadn't know that he thought he was a _child molester_, for God's sakes! He wasn't anything of the sort! He just wanted children! And it's not like he could have any of his own, since…!

… Well, let's just say he "shot blanks."

Arthur used to have a wife, you know - a beautiful, redheaded, Irish girl, who had wanted kids just as much as him. They had tried for so long to have some of their own, but after a year… they decided to get tested to detect any problems. That was when they discovered it - the fact that Arthur could not and never _could_ have children of his own.

When he had told his wife and brought up the idea of adoption… he divorced her. She had wanted kids of her _own_, not _someone else's kids_, as she put it. Arthur hadn't seen it that way - he just wanted to raise a child… what did it matter if they didn't have your blood?

He had _always_ wanted children, ever since he was a young lad. While other boys would daydream about roughhousing, or sports, or their dream girl with the dream body, Arthur had other dreams in mind - the dream of being a father, living with a loving wife, raising wonderful kids, etc. _That_ had been his goal for so long, and with the abilities he had, he created very vivid fantasies for himself revolving around this very idea.

So, when he had heard that he could never have kids… well, he considered himself very strong for not having snapped. No, at first, he had simply tried to adopt a child while living on his own, but then he heard the second most terrible news in his life:

"Since you're a single man without even a girlfriend, you probably won't be able to adopt…"

Apparently they were worried that without a partner, he wouldn't be able to raise a child right… they were going to deny him his right to the child that he so rightly wanted, and _deserved!_

That was when he had snapped. He decided enough was enough - he was getting a child, no matter whose it was!

He disguised himself - a simple, black mask that covered practically his entire face, since he realized his eyebrows would be a dead giveaway in a lineup. He went out that night and broke into one of the orphanages to try and talk to the kids, convince them to come with him by showing him what a great father he could be! He would hug him every day, and show him such great love…

The child, of course, had been _ecstatic_ - Arthur could feel it! The child had take the original image he projected and perceived him as the loving father he had always wanted. And the boy _would_ have gone with him willingly, too, if it wasn't for the blasted person on night watch that night!

The lights switched on, and Arthur fled.

He tried again a few nights later, but this time the child screamed before he could even say or show him anything! He kept trying, and trying, and _trying_, and even tried to deter anyone who stopped him by doing something he had promised to give up ever since high school - filling someone's head with nightmares.

It took no great skill to do this - he was simply able to tap into their mind, find what scared them, projected the image, and then let their own imaginations do all the rest. However, there were usually so _many_ people, and so many children as well, that Arthur usually grew nervous and ended up leaving anyway.

He hadn't even realized how many attempts he made at "kidnapping" until his name started appearing in the papers - his own company had thought of the name: "Professor Dreamweaver."

He had laughed upon first seeing the article - _this_ is what people were calling him? Well, he supposed it _was_ clever, but horribly cheesy, as well! He had shrugged it off, figuring people wouldn't pay it any mind.

That was, until… The Hero got wind of it.

Arthur shuddered as he remembered the first meeting with the superhero. To be completely honest, that first encounter almost scared him off from his antics completely, but… his desperation to have a child proved stronger, and he kept at it despite a _super's_ efforts to stop him.

Before he knew it… he had become a full-fledged supervillain. It was possibly the first time he had been truly pleased with his decision to never register or tell anyone of his power when he was younger - it would have been a dead giveaway for sure.

And now it seemed that the fruits of his labor had finally paid off! He had gotten what he had always wanted! He finally had a child to raise and care for…!

He had stolen Françoise A. Bonnefoy-Jones from an Alfred F. Bonnefoy- Jones.

… Well, perhaps he could use the word adopted, instead~

"Aren't you the cutest thing?" Arthur asked the baby with a chuckle, rubbing his cheek against hers.

She let out a bubbly laugh, her little blonde curls bouncing about, her cheeks turning a soft rosy red - she looked like all those beautiful, porcelain dolls in the antique shops or the toy stores! Just too perfect and pretty!

"Awww!" Arthur cooed, giggling and kissing all over her face. "You're a little princess! Oh!" He gasped a little and smiled. "I wonder what your power will be…!"

He watched her clap her chubby, little hands and laugh, trying to use them to grasp Arthur's hair once more. It seemed she loved chewing on things, hmmmm?

"I better get you a teething ring," Arthur said with a laugh. "Little ankle-biter~ So precious." He sighed happily and turned a corner to walk to the local Walmart instead of his house to purchase said item immediately. He didn't want her chewing on anything dangerous, after all!

* * *

Humming could be heard as the door to Arthur's one-story home was opened, allowing him to walk in while carrying Françoise (who was currently snuggling a stuffed elephant doll that she had loved from the store), as well as a plastic bag full of baby formula, baby food, and a teething ring. She was currently trying not to fall asleep, which meant she looked positively adorable with her droopy eyes and her head bobbing against his shoulder every few seconds~ Aw~

Arthur giggled and set the plastic bag by the front door before walking down the hall to the nursery he's had set up as far back as he can remember. It was themed to imitate a circus currently, with red walls and Dumbo decals on the walls, though he might have to change it to a Princess room soon. Ah well, he'd wait till Françoise started talking and told him if she wanted to change anything!

Anyway, he walked over to the far side of the wall and gently placed her into the white crib. "Sleep tight, my little angel~" he whispered before kissing her forehead.

He watched her rock onto her back, yawning cutely. One of the elephant's ears was hanging out of her mouth as he began to tuck her in, and her lids seemed to fully close as he took her hair out of her pony tails and let it all flail out across her pillows. She looked so delicate and breakable then… So vulnerable… She was his responsibility from now on - he was to take care of her, and protect her from harm, and make sure that nothing ever, ever happened to her…

Oh, what fun!

Arthur smiled lovingly at her before quietly tiptoeing out of the room, leaving the door open so he could hear her if she cried for him. He went all the way down the hall, turning the TV on for background noise before he grabbed his plastic bag and headed to the kitchen to make dinner for him and his new daughter. Or, at least, that's what he had been _intending_ to do, before he heard some unsettling words on the telly...

He whipped around to see The Hero on TV, a panicked look on his masked face. Dressed in his super suit - white spandex with light blue lightning accents crossing the legs and arms, along with an insignia of a spiked fist on his chest - he looked like the iconic super hero you would see in a comic book.

Except for the fact his demeanor wasn't. It wasn't at all in the slightest. He was openly scared, something he had _never _seen the other act like- not at all in his years of loosely knowing him. Flitting about the screen with his super speed, he was bouncing about like a jumping bean, practically yelling into the boom mic, "IF ANYONE HAS SEEN MY DAUGHTER, PLEASE TELL ME! IT IS IMPERATIVE - SEE?!" He gave a stretched, terrified laugh, "I USED A BIG WORD TO TELL YOU ALL IT'S SUPER DUPER IMPORTANT! SO PLEASE SEND US INFO IF YOU FIND HER! KAY THANKS!" And with that, he had bolted across the screen with a scream and ran into the distance. Leaving the current newscaster at a bit of a loss.

"... You heard it here, folks!" she quickly recovered with a sympathetic smile at the TV. "The Hero is in a panic and is actively searching for his daughter! There can only be one man to blame - his arch-nemesis, the evil Professor Dreamweaver."

Arthur felt his blood run cold at hearing that. Shit. _Shit_.

"Surely, there can be no greater loss than a father losing his child - if this man is found, he will be put into custody and dealt with immediately. Please call the station if you have any idea of his or the girl's whereabouts."

Arthur turned the TV off, sent into full-fledged panic mode.

Of _course_ Alfred would look for him…! Why hadn't he thought of that earlier?! They would probably search everyone's house, and if they came into his and saw her… He was a dead man.

He, he would have to disguise her, somehow…! He'd give her a new name, make fake, "legal" documents for her, and make sure to fool everyone into thinking he had simply found an adoption agency that would allow him to finally have a child! Yes, it was all so simple…!

But before all that… he had to do something about Alfred. He couldn't get that heartbroken look out of his mind - he looked like a kicked puppydog… He had to do something - maybe, maybe wipe his memory of his daughter…? He had tried erasing minds before, and it had worked, but he had never tried it on something so major in a person's life… And even if he managed it, he'd have to erase the town's mind, too, and destroy and currently existing documents of her - he'd be exhausted by the time he was done with it all!

… Well, he supposed that was just the price he had to pay for his new, happy little girl.

* * *

Arthur was shaking like a leaf as he stood on Alfred's front porch. He had been practicing what to say all afternoon - _Oh, Alfred, I'm so sorry for your loss! Is there anything I can do to help?!_ (He had assumed Alfred would be too heartbroken at the current moment to realize his secret identity had been compromised). But even with his practice he still felt incredibly nervous! What if Alfred realized _he_ was Professor Dreamweaver and killed him?!

He shuddered, but, with a deep breath, decided it was now or never and rang the doorbell.

To which the door slammed open and off the hinges. In a robe, with a five o'clock shadow, stood Alfred, eyes red and puffy, and a little boy in his arms. Said little boy looking equally saddened as he rubbed his eyes and wrinkled his freckled dusted nose, looking ready to cry. Arthur felt his heart tighten; he had forgotten about his son…

"Alfred," he started, his voice cracking and tears starting to well in his eyes as he looked at him. He almost felt _guilty_ now…! But, but at least he _did_ have another child, so, so there was that! "I am so sorry…! I heard what happened, and -"

Arthur didn't have time to finish his sentence as Alfred captured him into a tight, shaky hug, simultaneously sandwiching his son between them both. The Brit felt his heart break when the son wrapped his little arms around him as well…

Barely keeping back sobs now, Arthur returned the tight hug, muttering, "I'm so sorry!" over and over again. This poor family… he _had_ to take their pain away - erasing their minds would be a blessing!

Besides! They didn't need another child as much as he needed just _one_.

Alfred moved away from him to give him a small, broken smile, "Hey," he choked, "It isn't your fault… Whoever took her is to blame."

Arthur felt his throat constrict when he heard that. "... Y-yes," he croaked out, his voice sounding hoarse. "I know, but… still… I feel awful for you…"

Alfred laughed… Well, it just sounded like a hollow rattle to be perfectly honest. "Oh, don't be - I'm more…" his bloodshot eyes watered as he held his son closer - almost desperately, and kissed the top of his head, "_Worried_ with how Arma… Will take this….."

The boy in his arms looked up at his papa as if he was in physical pain. "Sissy's gone, papa…" he whispered, tearing up and burying his face into Alfred's shoulder. "I never got to say goodbye…!"

The boy's father nodded solemnly and hugged his son tightly, kissing his face slowly, "I know… I know…" he then started to cry all over again, "N-neither did I -!"

Arthur quickly wrapped his arms around both of them to give them a tight hug, feeling as if he was about to collapse soon. He couldn't take this anymore! He had to wipe their memories soon…! "M-mind if I… come in?" he asked quietly, looking up at Alfred.

Alfred broke off their hug and nodded, smiling a small smile and allowing Arthur passage into their living room once more, "Of course, Arthur - you're always welcome in our house."

Arthur smiled softly at them before coming inside. "I-I'll make us all some tea…!" he offered before rushing to the kitchen.

Alfred gave a nod of approval and sat down on the couch, rocking Armel in his arms and whispering softly to him, "Hey champ - what should we do today?"

"Find Françoise!" he replied immediately, his eyes and nose still running down his face. "We have to find her, papa!"

Alfred felt his heart breaking in half for the millionth time today, as he took a tissue out from a box nearby and wiped his son's nose and eyes - and not in that order, for that would be rather gross. "I know, I know - and I think we _will_ today!"

Armel gave one of those heart-melting, childish smiles and wrapped his arms around his dad's neck in a tight hug. "I'm glad, papa…! I love Françoise! She's so tiny!"

Alfred laughed softly and stroked Armel's bangs back so he could kiss his sweet, little, rosy cheeks. "Very tiny - probably not bigger than a butter stick!" he couldn't help but give a goofy smile. "That's what your Mother would always say!"

Armel giggled a little and rested against his papa, gazing up at him with wide, wondering eyes. "Papa… what happened to mommy?"

Tightening. Tensing. Guilt of some sort… Those were the emotions that always flooded through him every time his sweet, impressionable son asked him this question. He hated answering it, and he had the answer to this question memorized like the back of his hand. It was.. It was just such a hard thing to answer.

It wasn't as hard to answer as something _else _about his wife though… But he didn't want to talk about _that._

"I know she died," Armel muttered, tightening his hold around his father. "But…"

"I was going to tell you she's an angel in Heaven now - with all the great Saints she would teach you about, sport!" Alfred chirped as best as he could, while doubt wriggled inside him about anything he was telling his son right now. He knew that was bad, but… If there were these so called Saints and angels then how come his wife had died and crap? Why couldn't they have healed her?! Saints did that stuff, right?

Well, anyways, he could rock a wiki on _that_ when he didn't have so much stuff on his plate!

For now, at least, his son seemed very happy with the lie. He looked up at him with sparkling eyes and gave a huge, toothy grin. "That's great, papa…! She'll help us find Françoise!"

Alfred gave a stretched smile and nodded, though inside he felt exhausted and ready to give up. "Yes, yes - she'll definitely help us find your sister~"

Armel giggled and kissed his papa's cheek. "And she sent Arthur here so you won't be lonely anymore!"

At that, Alfred felt himself almost lose composure. H-his son thought he was _lonely?!_ And needed _company_! A-and that he and Arthur were more than just friends?! Was that what he was getting at! N-no! He couldn't be! His son was too young to know - t-to know about… About "la amour" as their Mother babbled about! N-no! He could _never_ be suggesting -

"Tea time!" Arthur interrupted with a sympathetically cheerful smile as he waltzed in and placed two teacups on the living room table. "I hope you like strong tea!"

Alfred tried to give his best calm, and polite smile as he leaned forward carefully and took a cup, "It isn't my favorite - I prefered ice tea, but thank you all the same."

"Ah, sorry," Arthur joined them on the couch, staring at the ground. "I'll remember that next time… Er -" he blushed a little. "Not that there will be a next time, I, I mean, if you don't… never mind."

Alfred furrowed his brows slightly and tilted his head, sipping quizzingly from his cup now. "Pardon? What are you talking about?"

Arthur sighed and shook his head. "Never mind, forget I said anything…" Truth be told, Arthur wasn't entirely sure if Alfred would even remember him when he erased his mind of Françoise… "Just, um, I have this… technique, that sometimes helps me feel better." He smiled lightly at him. "Maybe you could try it?"

Alfred smiled a little and gave a nod, placing his cup down and hugging his son tightly. "Sure! If it helps you," he closed his eyes, "Then I hope it helps me!"

Armel giggled a little and closed his eyes as well, smiling. "Oui!"

Arthur smiled a little, though inside he felt nervous, guilty, awful… he actually felt like the _villain_ everyone called him - he had ruined this family by taking their child… But, but that was why he was here! To rectify his wrongdoing and take their memories away…!

So, taking a deep breath, he scooted closer to them and concentrated. He started straight at the both of them and imagined working through their mind - finding every image, every memory, every soundbite of Françoise and scrambling it so that it couldn't be found again. Since, well, he couldn't _completely_ destroy it - no, memories could either be scrambled or replaced, but never destroyed completely.

What he didn't realize, however, was that as he started to erase their memories… something else very strange happened.

She began to disappear in any and all photographs taken of her - the images even rearranged themselves if she had been the main focus, and pictures solely of her turned to dust. The room Alfred had for her began to rewind itself, going back to the time when it was their Mother's music and art gallery room. Every toy Alfred had bought for her disappeared - either back to the toystore of simply turning to dust if handmade. Everything that could leave a clue to Françoise's existence… started disappearing. In real life.

It wasn't just an illusion.

Arthur didn't realize this, however, and he hadn't even really thought that far ahead. He was emotionally drained, too, so he was honestly surprised that he had come up with this much at this point.

Anyway, when he was finished, he felt so physically drained on top of emotionally drained that he just collapsed into the back of the couch. He sincerely hoped Alfred still recognized him, because he didn't feel like running like the dickens out of his house being called a "stranger." "S-so, how do you feel…?"

He watched Alfred and Armel open their eyes, yawning a little as they did so. They seemed a bit sludgy, as if they had just awoken from a very long and turbulent sleep to look like -

"Hey!" Alfred commented, giving a confused look as he rubbed his five o'clock shadow, "Did I forget to shave again, sport?" He then turned to Arthur and gave a pleasant chuckle, "Did I, Arthur?"

Arthur blinked in surprise. Well, he seemed completely back to normal… Which was wonderful! He smiled, but before he could answer Armel interrupted with: "You did, papa!" He laughed. "You turned into the Beard Monster again!"

Causing Alfred to laugh and make some playful growling noises as he began to tickle his son, "Did I now?! Guess I'll have to feed my insatiable appetite!"

Armel squealed with laughter and pushed at his father's hands. "PAPA! NO!"

Arthur felt incredibly happy watching them. These were the types of memories he wanted with his own child, and, and now he would be able to have them…! Françoise was all his, and there were no consequences! He could be happy - _they_ could be happy! Father and daughter…! Oh, it had such a nice ring to it!

He just had to get started! Right away!

"Well," Arthur chuckled as he stood up. "I suppose I've overstayed my welcome! I'll leave you two alone now."

"Wait!" Alfred stood up and ran over to Arthur with a large grin, looking away and blushing a little. "When can I… See you… _Again?_"

Arthur didn't completely understand at first. "... See me, again?" he asked, tilting his head. "Would you… like to?" He had been planning to never see him again! After all, he _had_ taken his child… it made things a little awkward.

Alfred gave a nod and whipped out his cell phone with one hand, giving a 100 watt smile, "Maybe we can make it a Tuesday? For coffee?"

"Um…" Arthur chewed at his lip. Should he really enact with him anymore…? He supposed there would be nothing to tie him to the kidnapping now, and he seemed to really want to hang out with him… What was the harm?

"... Sure, Tuesday."

* * *

**Author's Note, TheGuardianKnux**: DREIDEL DREIDEL - oh no wait this is the end of the chapter, me! Stop doing that. XD Anyways! HOWDY HO CHILDREN. This is the end of chapter two! Congrats for suffering - I mean making it this far! C: But now that my mouth is way too numb because of a wisdom teeth extraction, here I am! DELIRIOUS AS HELL.

**Author's Note, Annzy B.**: Luckily, that's why we write these chapters ahead of time XDD ANYWAY! I hope you all enjoyed the second half, and liked reading about Arthur's side of things! I'm afraid the journey is just beginning ;)

**Knux**: And I liked… Umm…. Uh…. I liked dreidels and I'm not even Jewish. c:

**Annzy**: *laughs* Oh, Knux XD  
We would also like to thank everyone who favorited, followed, and/or reviewed last chapter! The feedback is much appreciated ^^  
Please leave a review and tell us your thoughts so far! :)

_**MERRY**_**_ CHRISTMAS!_**


	3. Memories

"Now now, Francine~" Arthur giggled as he held his baby girl in his arms and held a warm bottle up to her mouth. "You _drink_ it, not spit it all up you silly goose~"

His little girl seemed to have a different opinion on that as she spat it out again and babbled grumpily. Her eyes shimmered with an almost teasing reflectance, in Arthur's mind, that seemed to suggest she wanted to butt heads with him as much as possible over the matter of feeding time!

"If I didn't know any better," Arthur started with a grin. "I'd say you were trying to pick a fight, little missie~" He sighed, but it was still full of joy as he placed the bottle down and simply started to rock her. Fine, if she didn't want to eat, he'd wait till she felt hungry!

It made him wonder if perhaps she had never been _bottle fed_ before - but that would be ridiculous! Alfred didn't have a wife anymore, right?! At least, he had never seen her around… and when he had breached the topic last Tuesday over coffee he had avoided the subject, so Arthur assumed she was no longer present, in one way or another.

"She could have died soon after her birth…" Arthur mumbled his speculations. "But no, he would have had to feed her with a bottle eventually…"

It made him more and more suspicious about a man he felt he should _forget_ all about, to be perfectly honest…

"Let's go watch Madeline!" Arthur decided to sidestep his own internal issues completely as he carried Francine over to the living room. She loved Madeline - a story about a French school girl… well, that's really all he got from it since he didn't speak French. Maybe he should learn…

His little girl would learn for sure! He had to keep her connected to her culture after all - even if he did think French people were snooty as Hell most of the time and had a stick up their own arse -

… He really needed to get that image out of his head for the sake of his daughter - how would she handle hearing that from her own father?!

Shaking his head, Arthur grabbed the remote and settled down with his baby girl before turning on the telly. They'd watch one episode, and then they could play with her toys together!

All the toys he had bought and made for her! He was sure she would love them! The elephants seemed to be a big hit with her - so was Dumbo! They had already seen the movie enough that he swore he had most of it memorized by now! Especially that wonderful Pink Elephants song - he loved to sing it to her~

And watch her give those ever melodious giggles of her whenever he made her laugh… It made his day.

Actually, a lot about his daughter made his day! Like when she would smile at him, or pull at his hair, or fall asleep so cutely in his arms, or, or… he simply loved everything about her. Whenever he looked at her, he just knew he had made the right choice, because how could anything so purely good and wonderful ever be bad? No, as time went on, Arthur was more and more sure of his decision. He belonged with Francine! He did!

She was _his_ precious little peach. And no one could ever take that away from him~

"Ma…. Ma!" he was startled out of his thoughts by Francine blowing spit filled raspberries up at him and wiggling weakly, trying to reach her chubby, little fists up and grip his hair, "Mama!"

… Mama?

Arthur laughed weakly and gripped one of her hands in his own. "No, sweetie! Da da, say da da!"

She giggled and gave him that certain, little look again that twinkled in her eye when it came to things like this! That look that said, "I'm in charge, and you can't make me do what you want!"

What was that emotion called again? Something about, not listening… rebellion? No, no, that wasn't quite right… Arrogance? But she was just a baby!

"Mama!"

He was pretty sure that it was called stubbornness or independence.

Arthur sighed and just smiled at her again, figuring she'd just grow out of it. "All right, fine, mama for now…"

They settled back and watched their movie, Francine occasionally announcing "Mama!" and seemingly laughing at him when his eye twitched. He was no _mother_ - he was a _father_ gosh darn it…! He wasn't even that feminine to begin with! Sure, he might not be _buff_ or _strong_, but he was fit enough! And sure, he liked doing embroidery, and drinking tea, and matching curtains almost obsessive compulsively, but he was plenty manly! So he should be a Dada!

But of course, Francine wanted to remind him every other minute that she thought the exact opposite, as she grabbed a fist full of his hair and tugged it, "_Mama!_"

Arthur sighed and picked her up to carry her to her room. "Come on, Francine, let's play with your new toys!"

"Mama! Mama!" she bubbled cheerily as he carried her off to go play some more, "Maaaammmaa!"

* * *

Arthur whistled as he walked through the normal, busy streets of Metroville, pushing his daughter through the crowds in a stroller. He had just come out of, well… "the black market" to finish getting "legal" documents for his baby girl. She was now officially known as "Francine Kirkland," and had come from some orphanage in France. The men had promised to take care of supplying online records, and had also supplied him with an adoption certificate, a child ID, and other formal documents needed.

He felt on top of the world!

"The last thing we need to do now is get your shots, Francine~" he sang with a smile. "And then we can go back home and have some more fun in celebration!"

Francine just giggled like normal, till she then yelled as loud as possible, for any and everyone to hear, "MAMA!"

"... Francine…" Arthur stopped walking and bent over to rest his forehead against the stroller, his face bright red from embarrassment. He didn't even want to _know_ what anyone would think from that…!

Especially when he saw some nearby Mothers' with their multiple strollers giving him sincere smiles as they laughed with amusement and carried on with their normal, legal lives!

He took a deep breath and stood up, much more rigid than he had been before. He, he would take this in stride! Just one of the trials of being a parent, and that was all!

With newfound confidence, he trudged forward again, grinning with determination. Nothing was going to stop him! Arthur Kirkland, father extraordinaire!

Not even seeing Alfred F. Bonnefoy-Jones and his son stroll right out of the hospital with bright, cheery and careless grins on their faces!

… Wait, _what?!_

Arthur felt fear strike through his very heart. Oh no…! If Alfred saw Francine, he might remember that she used to be _Françoise_ and _his_…! He had to get out of here, _fast!_

He started strolling away, using his classic illusion of more people to have everyone bumping into everyone to aid his getaway. H-hahaha! He could just have her visit the doctor some other time-!

"Hey, Arthur!" he heard Alfred call cheerily, almost right beside him. "Where you goin'?!"

Arthur froze in his tracks, feeling sweat crawl down the back of his neck. Oh no, no no no! This could not be happening…!

"Oh!" Arthur turned around, trying to hide the stroller behind his back as he laughed nervously. "A-Alfred! I didn't see you there - um, I was, was…"

"You have a baby!?" Armel exclaimed, jumping from his father's arms and running around Arthur to look in the stroller. He gasped, and for a second Arthur was completely terrified at the thought that he had remembered, but then he simply exclaimed, "She's so pretty!"

"... O-oh…" Arthur gave a weak smile. "Y-yes, she is…!"

"What's her name?!" Alfred asked excitedly as he bent down to inspect the baby, almost laughing as he watched her move to pull on his hair.

What seemed to look like instinct made him move back, her fist missing his sandy locks.

It made Arthur cringe on the inside, and served as a painful reminder that this child didn't belong to him at first…

"H-her name is…" Arthur swallowed, hoping this wouldn't be a trigger. "... Francine."

Alfred blinked slowly and then tilted his head, brows furrowed as he gave an interested look, "Hmm…. That name…."

Arthur paled and felt a cold shiver run through him. Oh no, oh no…! "I-it's a nice name, don't you think?!" He laughed nervously. "Th-though I still need to learn French…! Maybe I'll take a class!"

Alfred smiled more and gave a wistful little sigh as he nodded. "C'est ce que j'ai dit quand j'ai épousé Françoise."

"You speak French?" Arthur was genuinely impressed. He had assumed Alfred was the,"brawn over brains" type of guy. "That's amazing!"

Alfred gave a sheepish, little look and turned his head to the side. "O-oh well, it isn't that good…"

"Don't sell yourself short!" Arthur told him, smiling. "That's a very impressive skill, you know!"

Blushing a little now, the American just gave a shrug as they heard their children laughing and getting along with one another.

"Papa!" Armel laughed. "Francine is great at playing peek-a-boo!"

"Isn't she?!" Arthur immediately jumped in, all ready to gush about his bubbly little girl. "She loves to copy you and hide her eyes, and she laughs when you make funny faces at her~"

"Yeah!" Armel laughed a little and covered her own eyes, to which Francine soon followed the action. "Peek-a-boo!" Armel lifted his own hands and gave a little pout when Francine still had her eyes covered. "Heeeey!"

Alfred chuckled and moved to ruffle his son's hair, "I think Francine here is doing something wonderfully independent!" He laughed more as he suggested, "She's showing you she's her own person, and doesn't follow the crowd?"

"Papa!" Armel stuck his tongue out at him. "Enough with your soshialigy! It's just a game!"

Arthur, on the other hand, was impressed again and smiled at him. "I kind of hope you're right," he said with a chuckle. "But at the same time I hope she listens to me!"

Alfred gave him a sweet smile and winked playfully, "I don't know - I bet she'll end up with a bad boy from a gang, in Canada, when she's fifteen years old and four months~"

"Wh-why would you say that?!" Arthur blushed and started yelling at him. "She's a perfect little angel…! And wouldn't mess with that lot!"

Alfred stuck his tongue out and took Armel's hand, starting to lead him off back towards their car as he waved goodbye, "I don't know! Parental intuition I suppose!"

"IDIOT!" Arthur yelled after him, loud enough for the surrounding people to hear. Aaand loud enough for him to feel properly embarrassed and cover his mouth, his face turning bright red. He hadn't meant to _shout_ that, he just didn't want people slandering his little girl…!

Besides! No matter what anyone thought she would always be a pure, bright, and untouchable angel in his eyes! Always!

Which was why he promptly began to wheel his little girl into the hospital, a look of defensiveness and determination dead set on his face.

* * *

**Author's Note, TheGuardianKnux**: And for once I edited a chapter. Huh! Weird! XD Anyways, I hope everyone got what they wanted for Christmas yesterday! I know I did~ ;3 A new Wii U is a good present as far as I'm concerned! What did you get again, Annzy~? ;D

**Annzy**: Nothing much XD A laptop case for my laptop, finally! And a sweater, some pajamas, a wireless speaker, and money. ^^ From relatives I also got these cool earrings!

**Knux: **That sounds more pleasant than a wisdom tooth surgery to me. XD So I'm glad you aren't in PAIN~

**Annzy**: You said the pain subsided XDD Anyway, thanks to everyone who's read this far! We'd appreciate some comments if you'll kindly give them to us ^^

Happy new year!

**Knux**: And may the odds be ever in your favor. OwO


	4. Subconscious Desires

"Come on, Arma!" Alfred yelled through the doughnut in his mouth up the stairs as he slipped on his suit jacket and adjusted his brief case. He couldn't help it! He got all manic in the morning, having to get dressed all nice for his job as a real estate agent, and making sure he dropped off Armel at school right on time! No later, no earlier! He didn't want his poor, brave little man to freeze out there in the fall cold!

Being a single Dad was hard, alright?

It was very hard sometimes! Alfred knew he was rather masculine - went to the gym, loved football, video games, going for a few drinks every now and then, and wearing boxers….. Well, let's just say, he didn't have that overtly feminine touch his wife use to have.

And, let's just say, she _really _had it… He honestly didn't want to think about her right now…

Anyways, it was hard! He didn't know how to nurture like women did! He knew how to toughen his son up! Teach him the beauty of being nerdy or liking football! Alright?! It's just what he did! H-he didn't clean around the house like women, or bake like women, or dress in stylish outfits, or-or smell like lilies!

Sometimes... The lack of feminine touches around the house made him consider going back into the dating ring once more, but… Something was always holding him back… And, to be honest…

He wasn't sure what - or well, if he_ was_ sure, he was sure that he didn't want to be sure about that… If that made any sense.

B-besides! He was as sure as sunshine that being The Hero and a working, white collared Father was enough already to keep him busy! H-he didn't need to find a husband -

…

_Damn it!_

Okay! So he wasn't being completely_ honest…._ And that he maybe…. Liked…. Okay, he knew it.

He liked men.

Much, much more than women.

And he was ashamed to admit it.

H-he had loved his wife and all, don't get him wrong! I-It was just-

"PAPA! Have you seen my pretty pony socks!?"

… Just n-nevermind! He didn't have _time_ to think about that just now! He h-had _Fathering _priorities right now!

"Top drawer and to the left, sport!" Alfred called back as he snapped his doughnut in half in his mouth and practically sucked it in, chewing it quickly and swallowing it as if it were just a doughnut hole.

If anyone asked, it was a special talent from college and not some sort of side effect of his super appetite!

…. Get it? Lame puns?

"Thanks, papa!" Armel ran out of his room, grinning while dressed in a red-striped shirt, baggy, red shorts, and his pretty pony socks. He jumped onto his father's legs. "Let's roll!"

Causing Alfred to laugh and shakily wonder if his son was gay too…

….. Or metrosexual, he supposed. There was always that…

Laughing it off worryingly, Alfred scooped his son up and balanced his coffee and brief case as well. Looking over at his son's bag, he levitated it over to them and started to carry them to the car. "Now, you're not going to make multiples to get out of doing school work so you can go play outside," he gave a humored sigh, "_right_, sport?"

Armel gave a grin and shrugged slowly. "It's hard to control, papa~"

Alfred narrowed his eyes and gave an unamused look as his eyes started to glow, "So is laser vision, but -"

"I won't!" Armel squeaked, making another one of himself behind Alfred and then phasing as one into that one so he could hide. "I-I won't!" He sounded rather worried.

Realizing that threatening to zap your child with gamma rays was borderline abusive/a really bad idea, Alfred groaned and ran a hand down his face, using his other hand to levitate his son back over to him, "Calm down, calm down - I'm not going to set anyone on fire!"

"Not even your nemeciese?" Armel asked, eyes wide and his pronunciation lacking on "nemesis."

"Even my nemesis," Alfred promised begrudgingly, his heart hardening at the thought of Professor Dreamweaver. That shmuck…. he didn't want to think about how much he hated the bastard right in front of his own, innocent son. "I promise I'll let Dreamweaver have it easy this time."

_If he shows his face around here…. _Considering the fact he hadn't… Been seen at _all _for a week and a half! Which was very odd! Usually he saw the bastard all around town and had to fight him over children almost every minute (or at least that's how it felt!)

So… Why wasn't he around?

"Okay, papa!" Armel smiled and hugged his father. "I'm all ready for school! Do you think the girls will like my pony socks?!"

Alfred felt his distracting thoughts slip away as he smiled softly and nodded, leaning in and kissing his son's cheeks. "Of course they will, sport~ Everyone loves ponies!"

* * *

Arthur felt like laughing as he walked around the city. Being a journalist could be quite fun sometimes, especially when he was assigned to find any information on his alter ego while looking for a scoop. The newspaper was getting quite antsy at "Professor Dreamweaver" not making an appearance in a week and a half, so really everyone in the company was assigned to find something and _anything_ on him.

And it wasn't like Arthur could tell them that the "heinous villain" was retired, because how would he explain his knowledge? No, he'd just let the general public panic and wonder over it.

"Anything suspicious…" Arthur muttered to himself, walking around dressed as a businessman, since that seemed to be the best disguise sometimes. Well, that, and his ability to illusion himself blending into the wall was a big help, too. Anyway, he was having a bit of trouble finding anything out of the ordinary. If he was in dire need of a story by the end of today, he'd go investigate that hotdog stand over there - he swore the teller dropped almost every hot dog.

Hm, maybe he could ride the bus - if not a story, there were always interesting things to find there! With this in mind, he went over to a bus stop, finding that he didn't have to wait long before boarding.

"Hello, Bertrice," Arthur greeted the lady with a bag over her head. Whenever he rode the bus, she was always there, too… Though she usually just nodded at him instead of speaking - like today.

He chose a seat in the back; he hated how bumpy it was, but it was the best vantage point to spy on the passengers

Unfortunately… everything seemed to be too normal that morning - everyone was either half asleep, fully asleep, staring out the window, or locked in a meeting with their phones. There was nothing to make a story of here! He was going to get off at the next stop, but before he could even stand up - _he_ entered.

Ludwig Beilschmidt - owner of a huge beer corporation. He was obviously on his way to work, dressed in his signature, navy blue suit and tie - all business wearing his glasses. The only thing off about him was that he had shifty eyes, and was clutching his laptop bag like it contained a lethal weapon…

Jackpot!

No one seemed to notice the respected man as he walked down the aisle, and he didn't notice Arthur, thanks to his little power~ Ah, such wonderful things illusions could do.

He watched anxiously as Ludwig sat down in the seat right in front of him, quietly slipping out his computer. Arthur waited a few seconds for the machine to turn on, and then a few more moments for him to get on what he was going to look at. Then, he slipped his camera out of his pocket and slowly sat up to look over the seat. _Let's see what's got you so nervous, Beil - SHIT!I_

Arthur blushed darkly when he saw what was on the man's screen. P-porn…! Not only that, but a dog was involved, and, and did people even bend that way…?! He was pretty sure this was going to be burned into his retinas forever!

He immediately closed his eyes, but his need to report the news trumped the crawling sickness he felt inside him. Holding the camera up, he shot the picture - flash and click off, of course, so as not to make a sound. He quickly sat back down, holding a hand to his head and groaning quietly. He was going back to the office - _immediately_.

And if he ever caught his daughter looking at things like this when she was older - n-not that she ever would! No-no, of course she wouldn't… she was a beautiful, little girl!

Anyway, Arthur was going to get off at the next busstop, but the thing was… Ludwig hadn't gotten off yet. Figuring it would be a good idea to actually count how many stops he missed because of his sexual endeavors, he forced himself to sit down and watch him, sighing every now and again. Sometimes being a journalist could be tough…

* * *

Nine.

He missed _nine bloody stops_. Arthur almost shouted in _joy_ when he put his laptop away and stood up to walk off that horrid bus. His legs had been cramping and, unfortunately, his imagination had kept wandering off, wondering what he could possibly be looking at now…

But now it was over! The bus ride of disgust was over!

He stretched once outside, and started walking. He was in the new part of town, where all the new houses and apartment buildings had recently been built. This part of town was fairly quiet, since not a lot of people had moved in yet, and it was a nice change from the bustling sounds of the main part of their city. He decided he could take a nice walk before getting on another bus back to headquarters and writing about something that honestly disgusted him. Because, honestly, if he had to think about that poor German Shepherd again, he was sure he was going to cry…

Just as he was walking, however, he saw a young man juggling some picket signs around… Dressed in a nice suit, carrying a briefcase in one hand and signs in the other arm… He had sandy blonde hair, and -

Wait a tic…. Wasn't that -

"Alfred?" Arthur called out to him, smiling a little when the man turned his head. So it was! "Alfred! Funny running into you here." He jogged over to him, getting a closer look at what he was holding. "Are you a real estate agent?" He supposed he never really asked what he did…

What had they even talked about that Tuesday!?

Alfred gave a loud laugh and adjusted his glasses. Dropping the signs into the grass, they tumbled down into a pile at his feet as he leaned in and hugged Arthur, as if they hadn't seen each other in ages! "Yeah! I am!" he then chuckled warmly and practically rubbed cheeks with him till… Well, he noticed he was doing just that and let Arthur go with a light blush, now looking sheepish as all get out. "A-and fancy meeting you here! Right on the field!"

"R-right-O!" Arthur replied, blushing a little too now and resisting the urge to hold a hand up to his cheek. What had that been about?! "I just got off the bus," he laughed a little and held up his camera. "Found out that the owner of Beilschmidt Beer likes to watch some very… _interesting_ porn on the bus."

Alfred's jaw practically dropped to the ground as he saw the pictures, his face halfway blushing and halfway looking a little green out of disgust, "O-oh my stars and garters -!"

"Vile, isn't it?" Arthur asked, putting it away with a sigh. "This is the kind of thing we need to protect our children from!"

The poor American looked ready to faint as he swayed about and mumbled almost deliriously, "I-It seems like something The Hero should t-take care of!" He swallowed thickly and tried to straighten himself. "C-considering that that Dreamweaver bastard hasn't shown his stupid face in a long time!"

"Hm, yes," Arthur snickered to himself. "Why do you suppose that is? Think he gave up?"

"Maybe he moved to Iowa to go fuck cows."

Arthur burst out laughing at that, actually - the notion was just so ridiculous! "I-I'll be sure to mention that idea in the population consensus…!"

Alfred gave an unamused nod as he scowled a little and went to pick up his signs. "Anyway, how's your daughter?"

"She's doing well," Arthur said, smiling dreamily as he thought of her. "She still calls me Mama, but I'm getting used to it~ She's such a cutie - I just love her to death!" He sighed and looked at Alfred. "And your son?"

Alfred first gave Arthur a dazzling smile as he patted his back and complimented, "You're doing great, Artie!" before laughing and reporting, "he's fine! Decided to woo the girls at his school with his pony socks!"

"You're kidding," Arthur laughed, ignoring the compliment (though still feeling a bit embarrassed from it). "He certainly knows how to get to a girl's heart, doesn't he?"

"Why of course!" Alfred chattered with amusement as he gave Arthur another cheery, pleasant smile. "He just loves all the girls in his class - I get to hear about them all the time and see what sort of hair brained scheme he makes up to make them like him even more than they do!"

Arthur laughed and held a hand up to his mouth, as if to hide his smile. "What a cheeky little boy! Better raise him to be a gentleman!"

Alfred smirked a little and leaned in, gripping Arthur's chin and leaning in close to whisper saucily against his lips, "Well, wouldn't that be something you're capable of~?"

Arthur gasped a little and stared up at him with wide eyes - he felt his cheeks enflame as he stared into that admittedly drop-dead-_sexy_ look Alfred was giving him. Wh-what had gotten into the man?! "I, I -"

He gasped again when he felt as the world was backing away from him - like he was coming out of a dream… and he found that Alfred was simply smiling and babbling happily to him about something, instead of grabbing his chin and… Well, you know the rest.

… What the devil had happened?! Had he, had he _imagined_ that? But the last time he had imagined something like _that_ was when he was in high school, and he was suffering from the hormonal changes. He shouldn't be having such imaginations now!

… He blamed the bus porn.

A-and the fact that Alfred was…. Alfred was….! N-not supposed to be his _type_, if you caught his drift -

Interrupting his thoughts, Alfred gave a grin as he scooped his signs up, and his brief case, and started to take his leave, "Hey! Would you and your little girl like to come over for dinner this Friday? Once we're both off work?" If Arthur wasn't mistaken, he swore he saw a light blush on Alfred's cheeks as he started to walk backwards. "I'll cook you something really Americana! A-and we can make iced tea!" he stopped and tilted his head, almost like a precious, sweet, little puppy dog asking to go on a walk, or for a ride in the car, "W-what do ya say?"

"What do I… say, ah…" Arthur felt flustered from his previous imagination as he gave Alfred a small smile. "Um, sure! We'd love to! Should I bring a dish, or…?"

"If you want!" Alfred jested as he turned around and started to walk away. "Either way, I'll see you Friday evening! Till then, take care!"

"You got it!" Arthur called after him, smiling when he heard that signature laugh of his. Honestly, it was a wonder no one else had figured out he was really The Hero yet! It seemed so obvious to him!

He shrugged it off and began walking his own way, back to headquarters and whistling a happy tune all the while.

* * *

**Author's Note, TheGuardianKnux**: Oooooo things get, like, so intense! Ooooo! OOOOOOOO! *Wiggles arms in a ghostly manner* Bet you all wanna know what happens next, oooooo!

**Annzy**: Oh my gosh Knux XD *flattens your arms* Calm yourself! They'll find out soon enough~

**Knux**: WHAT WOULD BRIAN BOITANO DO -!

**Annzy**: … What does that have to do with anything? O.o

**Knux**: 8D Nothing! I just like to ask pressing questions because my meds make me all crazy! :D

**Annzy**: … Okay then XD Anyway! Thanks to everyone who's reviewed, favorited, and followed so far ^^ The support is greatly appreciated :)

**Knux**: Yeah and stuff! No one's made me feel… Feel…. Something vaguely resembling human emotion! Oooooo! So that's good…. OooooOOooOooOoOo.

**Annzy**: … Until next time, everyone!


	5. And Her Name Is -

"Francine?" Arthur walked around his house, looking for his baby girl. He swore, one minute she was playing peacefully in the living room, and the next she was off in her own room, or the bathroom, or the kitchen, or simply anywhere else! It was at times like these he was glad he didn't have stairs - what if she bumped into them and cut her lip or hurt her head?! That would be terrible!

"Francine!" he called again. Still no sign of her… how did she move so quickly? She was still crawling, last he checked, right? And it wasn't like this was a house you could easily get lost in!

"Francine, where in the world are you - oh." He found her when he popped back into the kitchen. "How did you get here -"

His voice died in his throat when he saw her up on top of the fridge.

He screamed and quickly grabbed one of his kitchen chairs, standing on top and reaching for her. "Don't worry, sweetie! Daddy's here!"

"Mama!" She giggled, as she always did, and swiftly, she moved off the fridge as if it were like the speed of lightning, and made her way back onto the living room couch! Leaving Arthur to feel very dazed and confused.

"... Did she just?" He jumped off the chair and ran after her. She did, didn't she? Moved much faster than a normal human could…

Her power was super speed?

Oh, it bloody figured - the thing he had no stamina for was the thing she was good at… how was he going to keep up with her? How was he going to teach her to control it?! How would he make sure she stayed in her bed at night, or stayed in their own house?! How could he make sure she wouldn't run across the world to Beijing…!

Well, at least she would never be late to anything and could just run to all of her appointments!

Arthur gave a weary sigh and walked slowly over to the couch, intending to grab her and try to make her understand how worried he'd be if she ran away… He'd have to find some sort of time out device with a ceiling, as well, so she couldn't just run over it. Oh, this talk was going to be so difficult when she was still so young! How was she expected to understand at this age?!

"Got'cha!" Arthur exclaimed as he fell onto the couch while grabbing her.

Causing her to squeal with laughter and try to run away again, squirming like a wiggly, little tadpole out of water, "Na! Na! Non!"

Arthur cracked a smile at her and held her tight, kissing her face and tickling her a little. "Little rascal…!" He sighed a little and gave her a stern look. "Sweetheart, listen… don't run away from da - … mama, okay?"

Francine stared at him with a blank look on her face for a long while. She then seemed to tilt her head, eyes unblinking…. Till she shouted, "NON!"

"... Excuse me?" Arthur stared at her, confused. Why was she saying "no" to him? Was she saying she was going to run away?! Arthur frowned and gripped her shoulders tight. "Sweetheart, listen to me - I need to make sure you're safe!"

Francine gave another elongated stare, her little mouth pushed into a small frown as she just sat and stared at him. "... Non!"

"Francine!" Arthur felt a spark of anger in him now. "How about this, then? Every time I can't find you, I'll take one of your toys!"

Francine stared once more and then…. Laughed and babbling as she reached up to pull Arthur's hair, "Non non! Non non!"

… Oh, now Arthur got it.

She was simply saying her second word. A word that she probably didn't know the meaning to, because she was - in fact - a baby… and probably hadn't understood a single word he said, anyway.

Arthur sighed and simply picked her up, kissing her cheek even as she pulled his hair. "Oh, my little girl, what am I going to do…?"

Especially when he saw her crawling around outside the window in the backyard -

… He needed help.

* * *

Arthur felt like a complete idiot.

What had possessed him to convince him that this was a good idea?! Running out as soon as Francine had fallen into a deep sleep (with the aid of some child sleeping medicine), and going to the top of the highest building, holding his camera?!

If anyone asked, he'd say he was looking for a better "angle" for his story, but he was really there to lure The Hero out, and ask him about managing a "physical" super child - especially if he was "just a human."

But the plan to do that - to lure him out - was to… "accidentally" fall…

Which is why he was now cursing himself out. It was a bloody stupid plan! He had illusion powers, not "make something appear" powers! He couldn't make something soft for him to land on in case The Hero was busy elsewhere and couldn't catch him! Although he did know for a fact that this was the time every day that The Hero was most active, still: he couldn't do this! He had a child to watch over!

"This was a waste of time," Arthur muttered, sighing and pocketing his camera. "I'll just -" He was cut off by a sudden gust of wind. Shivering, he hugged himself. "Geez, it's cold up here…" He took a step to get down from the edge, but then another gust of wind blew, and he became off-balanced…

Tumbling to the ground from the top of a thirty story building.

… Oh, just fantastic.

He screamed bloody murder, seeing his life flash before his eyes and imagining his daughter… his poor daughter, left alone in this world because of his own stupid idea…!

Till he was scooped up by a spandex clad, muscle bound arms. And pulled tight against the warm, fit chest of-of -

The Hero!

Arthur almost shouted his civilian name, he was so happy and relieved to see him, but he caught himself in time and gave a grateful smile. "Th-thank you…!" He wrapped his arms tightly around him to be better secured. "So much!"

He felt The Hero just float there for a while, instead of flying off with him. He felt piercing, sky blue eyes gaze down and give him a look of absolute pity. He felt arms tighten as the man he knew as Alfred, seemed invested in the ruse… Except for the fact he was holding Arthur tightly - borderline protectively, if you asked him, and murmured, "Why were you trying to jump?"

"I-I wasn't…!" Arthur swallowed, now realizing just how this might look… "I wasn't trying to jump, really, I was just… trying to take pictures of the city from above, and, well, slipped, I…" He swallowed and yelled, "I have a daughter to take care of! It'd be selfish to, to…!" Even think about killing himself when he had to take care of her…! Not that he would think about that anyway, since he had everything he wanted now!

He sensed the other relax at that as he gave a soft sigh and started to fly off with Arthur in his arms. "Good," he swallowed thickly, "I hate having to save people from suicide attempts - it's really hard to talk sense into them."

"I can understand that," Arthur sympathised quietly, burrowing into him a bit since the wind was still bitingly cold to him. "Sorry to make you worry, Hero…" When they landed, he'd ask about his daughter… since now didn't seem quite the time.

"That's The Hero to you!" the titular hero joked slightly, giving an amused look as he gazed down into Arthur's emerald orbs through his mask.

It made his sky blue ones shimmer, and look like deep, captivating pools, in Arthur's opinion. He wanted to swim in them, and -

WHAT THE HELL WAS HE THINKING?!

Blushing now, Arthur looked down to avoid those lovely eyes and tried to make himself think of something else, lest his imagination take over again like that one time…! Oh, he definitely didn't want that to happen while he was being held by the man!

Luckily, they landed soon in a secluded, light-filled alley, and Arthur stood next to him with a sheepish smile. "Th-thanks again… I won't go back up there anytime soon."

The Hero gave a dazzling, pearly smile and patted his shoulder, those eyes shimmering once again. "Good - I'd hate to see such a handsome man such as yourself end up splattered all over the street~"

"... Eheh!" Arthur laughed nervously, feeling his stomach twist both from the compliment and that mental image. "R-right, don't want th-that… um, I do have a question for you though." He swallowed and glanced away. "If-if you wouldn't mind answering it!"

He swore it must be an illusion on his part as he felt a hand grasp his chin; hot, dizzying puffs of breath tickling his lips as The Hero chuckled warmly and leaned in close. "I would love to answer anything you'd like to ask me~"

Arthur swallowed again, and hoped that if this was an illusion, that his words would still sound in real life - and he was pretty sure it was an illusion, so he really hoped! "I-it's about my daughter, you see, I-I, she, she…!" It was too hard to think with this bloody illusion happening! "She has, s-super speed, and, and I'm afraid I won't be able to watch her, so I was wondering if you had any tips…!"

Another chuckle resounded. Another amused comment came from those delectable lips of the handsome man in front of him. The way their bodies were pressed so close right now - that hand grasping his chin, his warm breath tickling down to his neck now. It honestly made him wonder if this really was an illusion! All of this felt so real!

He barely had time to register the tips Alfred was giving him: "Just make sure to have doors and windows locked, and an inclosed crib~"

And with that, The Hero was gone, gone like the wind.

And Arthur knew he couldn't be sure that everything that had happened was an illusion.

* * *

**Annzy**: I hope you enjoyed Arthur in this chapter as much as I did XDD

**Knux**: Because we really did enjoy him or something. XD I don't know- these chapters are hazy, drug fueled memories to me-

**Annzy**: Knux, this is the one where Arthur finds out Françoise/Francine has super speed so he throws himself off a building to ask advice XDD

**Knux**…. Sounds like a typical, teenage girl to me. XD

**Annzy**: Oh, shut it! XD He'll explain his decision later :P

**Knux**: :V Sure he will~

**Annzy**: :P

Anyway! Thank to everyone for reading this far! Hope you're enjoying it XD

**Knux**: Or in my mangled auto correct, we hope you LIFE IT! :DDD

**Annzy**: Oh, I still life that autocorrect XDDD

**Knux**: Anyways, if you have any questions about the conspiracy, or realistically this story and the character choices or want some behind the scenes information, please, feel free to drop a PM! Though most likely you'll talk to Annzy because I'm socially awkward and paranoid. OwO

**Annzy**: You're talking to more people than me -3-

**Knux**: *Ignore ignore* SO PM US TODAY! :D


	6. Extra Extra, Read All About It!

_THE HERO AND THE STRANGER! Thrilling love tale?_

_You read that right, folks! Yesterday, at precisely 10:30 at night, The Hero was spotted saving someone who had fallen from a building, only to take him to a secluded alleyway! At first, no one paid it any mind since they knew their hero generally saved people. That changed when one of our reporters happened to walk by in time to see The Hero getting close and personal with some sort of intrepid reporter!_

_Could The Hero be gay? Could this be the end of every girls' hopes and dreams? Could The Hero have finally found the love of his life? We can't be sure yet, but we'll be sure to investigate!_ _Metro-News is on the case!_

* * *

Alfred couldn't believe such bull hockey as he crumpled up the newspaper and tossed it into a trash bin in the kitchen, scowling now and trying his best to ignore the blush that peppered his cheeks as he remembered his saucy encounter from last night. He c-couldn't believe himself?! Why had he done that to _Arthur?!_ It-It was wildly inappropriate on the job, a-and not to mention creepy as Hell, right?! W-who on Earth would enjoy some sort of super powered weirdo flirting with them in a secluded area without any pepper spray on them?!

…. Apparently, _he _liked doing just that to someone he had only known for maybe up to a month now! A-and how could he?! His w-wife…

His wife...

Oh God… That seriously - that-that -!

Maybe he should just be honest with himself on that. That his wife -

"Papa!" Armel was currently bending over the trash bin and reading the article he had just thrown away. He gave his father a cheeky grin. "You sly _fox!_"

Squeaking, Alfred blushed furiously and quickly covered his face with the other half of the paper, muffling himself as he lied quickly, "I'm just reading t-the cartoons now! A-and later the sport's section!"

"But what about _this_, papa!" Armel insisted, waving the incriminating article around gleefully. "It looks like you and Arthur in the picture!"

Alfred groaned and laid his head down on the table, if anything to hide his blushing, hot face, "Okay, okay, you caught me red handed…" But not really! H-he hadn't done anything! He had just-just - no! He was -

Guilty. Very guilty. He had flirted with Arthur in the suit. There wasn't any excuse for that and he knew there never would be. It was his fault the tabloids had caught wind of it, and it wouldn't stop being his fault...

And he couldn't help but feel even _more_ guilt as he thought about what possible harassment Arthur might be going through right now because of _him!_

It was all his fault! Oh the horror -!

"Papa!" Armel exclaimed, distracting him from his horrifying thoughts as he smiled at him and bounced in his seat. "Aren't you looking even more for to Friday now?!"

"Looking for…?" Alfred muttered in confusion at first before fully understanding what he was asking, causing him to blush and look away. Adjusting his glasses and starting to sip his coffee to hide his embarrassed face. "No way! It'll just be a normal dinner -!"

"But you _are_ looking for to it more!" Armel deduced, giggling and pointing to the article again. "He probably is, too, papa!"

Alfred groaned for what felt like the hundredth time today as he adjusted his paper and shook his head, "Oh please! I am _not-!"_

"You are!" Armel squealed gleefully, jumping out of his seat and running around the table. "He'll be our new mommy!"

Alfred placed his cup down and felt himself tear up at that. A-a new mommy?! B-but F-Francois?! S-she - she was still his wife, right -? Even if she was dead, she was still -

Till _death_ do us part.

… Oh, right…

So, did that vow mean that she _wasn't_ his wife anymore…?

Well, technically she-she…

No, he couldn't…

Maybe -

No, there was no running away from it any longer, no matter how much he tried to cover it up, no matter how much he tried to not satisfy his own sexuality like he had his "wife"-

His wife…. Was a_ man._

It was a very, very long story.

"We have to go to school, papa!" Armel told him, still giggling as he pulled on him. "Come on! Maybe we'll see Arthur on the way…!"

Alfred resisted the urge to run a hand down his face as he stood up and took their dishes over to the sink. Right, right- he had school and he had work and his tranny of a wife was the least of his problems.

He'd get to thinking about that problem when it was relevant.

Which wasn't now, as he forcefully pushed the thoughts aside and decided to try and go on with his day.

* * *

Arthur had taken The Hero's advice to heart, and went to the local store almost immediately to buy a decent crib. One that she wouldn't be able to escape easily! He carried it all the way home, ignoring the looks he had been given, and strolled into his house to check on Francine. Still sleeping soundly, the little angel~

He took a deep breath and let it out before getting to work building the crib. Truth be told, a crib like this was the first thing that entered his mind when he found out her power, but he felt it was like a cage... which was why he had hoped the Superhero might have a different suggestion for his little girl. After all, how had his parents handled his super strength when he was a boy? Tied weights to him? Arthur highly doubted it. And what about his other powers? The boy was probably super fast, as well, considering how quickly he came to save Arthur - had his parents locked him in a crib like this one?

… Maybe they had. Perhaps things like this were normal for super families - Arthur wouldn't know, he was the only one with powers in his family, to his knowledge, and he never told anyone about his own. Part of that could be because he didn't know he had them until he was in second grade, but he digresses.

Cage or no cage aside, Arthur couldn't risk her safety! He'd have to find a super babysitter, someone who was trained to watch super children, though they usually cost much more money… but, it was the price he'd pay for his little girl!

So, once the crib was built, he had immediately gotten to work calling up all sorts of babysitting agencies until he found one that specialized in watching speedy children. They assured him that his daughter would be in excellent hands while at work, and had even gone so far as to say that if he wasn't completely satisfied when he returned home that he wouldn't have to pay them, but he was still nervous… He believed he didn't get a wink of sleep all night! Which was a downright shame, since in the morning Francine was completely rambunctious and zipping all over the place. But what was he to do!? He was just trying to feed her baby food! Maybe he needed to get a tighter high chair.

"Non, non!" She banged her hands on the high chair table and tried to throw her food at the walls and at him, a surly pout on her face as she scowled. "Ba ba ba NON!"

"Sweetie, don't throw your food!" He grabbed Francine's hands and gave her a sad frown. "Please? Open up for mommy! Here comes the food train…!"

Francine wouldn't have it as she tried to smack his hand away before… Bursting into tears and starting to wail with ear piercing sobs.

"Oh no…!" Arthur sighed and took her out of the high chair, slowly rocking her in his arms and kissing her face. "Sweetie, please don't cry," he told her softly in attempt to calm her down, "everything's okay…"

Yet she didn't seem to stop crying as she squirmed around, causing Arthur to decide to check and see if she needed a changing. Maybe he just hadn't noticed...

He readjusted her in his arms and started walking to the bathroom as he checked. Sure enough, she _did_ need a new diaper. Oh, he was so out of it this morning…! It just went to show what lack of sleep could do to a person!

He laid her on her back on the counter before taking her current diaper off, smiling at her. "You'll be nice and fresh soon enough, sweetie!" he promised as he rolled the used one up and threw it in the trash. he grabbed some baby wipes from underneath the sink and cleaned her backside, smiling at her all the while and feeling happy as she seemed to calm down. "There, that's all that was wrong…" He took out the baby powder then and sprinkled it over her cheeks before starting to fix the new, clean diaper on her. "There you are!" He picked her up and kissed her cheeks. "All better!"

Some people were disgusted by the idea of changing diapers, but for Arthur, it was just part of the complete package of having a baby! You changed their diapers, you dressed them, fed them, and loved them! Among other things! So why should he feel grossed out by something as simple as changing her when she needed it?

He shouldn't, and that was the plain facts!

Anyway, after her changing, she was more compliant to eat, though still a bit of a hassle; she found it quite funny to spit the food in her father's face… And still call him Mama, as if it were a biological miracle and he somehow was her _Mother_…

Which reminded him… He was still curious about _who_ her mother was! Or at least, what she had been like, anyway! Alfred still avoided the subject of his wife… maybe this Friday's dinner could change that?

Well, nevertheless, the rest of the morning went by fairly smoothly; the new babysitter showed up a few minutes early, and Arthur showed her where everything was before heading off to work - not without a final hug and kiss from his baby girl, of course!

He felt hopeful as he walked to work that morning, whistling and looking as if he was in some sort of musical, probably, as he walked down the street. When he reached his building, however… he knew something was wrong.

He felt like everyone was staring at him, and whispering about him, and _laughing_ at him! Which was a ridiculous notion - he may have been a good journalist, but he wasn't _that_ good!

"Hey, Kirkland!" one of his coworkers addressed him with a smirk. "Have fun last night?"

Arthur gave him a confused look. "Um, I suppose -" He didn't get to ask "why," since the man immediately started laughing and walked away.

"... Well, that was odd," Arthur muttered as he continued the walk to his office.

What sort of shenanigans were his coworkers thinking of _now?_ It wasn't April Fools Day, and he hadn't done anything to bring attention to himself!

… Right?

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. _Calm down, Arthur_… he told himself as he placed his hand on the doorknob to his office. _Just lose yourself in work_ -

"Hey, Kirkland."

He turned to see another one of his coworkers smirking at him, only this one threw him the morning edition of their newspaper. "Catch."

The Brit quickly reached forward to grab it before it fell, feeling even more confused as he straightened it out. Had he made a typo on his last article or something…?

… Oh, dear God, it was _so_ much worse!

He felt his cheeks enflame as he stared at the headline: "THE HERO AND THE STRANGER." He had to admit, it was a nice title, but what _wasn't_ nice was the photo along with the story…! It was clearly him! Oh, curse his bloody, thick eyebrows! Why couldn't they have blurred the picture more for confidentiality?! They weren't a tabloid newspaper, even if they got close to it sometimes!

Arthur felt as if he was going to be ill when something else occurred to him, however. If this incident was in the newspaper, then that meant…

It hadn't been an illusion.

"Didn't know you swung that way," the man said with a chuckle. "Hope things work out, _intrepid reporter!_' With that, he laughed and walked away, allowing Arthur to finally sneak into his office and slam the door behind him.

Oh, God… oh, _God_, this _so_ wasn't good…! What if he got fired over this?! Reporters weren't supposed to be in the news except as the author! What was he going to do!?

He felt himself slowly delving deeper and deeper into panic as he thought of every worst case scenario imaginable. He gets fired, he becomes ostracized, he gets attacked and murdered by crazy "The Hero" fangirls… nothing sounded good. He had to clear this up somehow…!

He had to talk to "The Hero" again!

* * *

And here was Arthur, with another stupid idea in his mind…

The building incident had completely terrified him, so there was no way he was going to repeat that. No, instead, he had rented bungee jumping equipment and was now tying himself securely to one of the support beams of their city's bridge. He figured plummeting to the water would be safer than plummeting to the ground… and, hopefully "The Hero" would be too shocked to notice he was attached to something and go to "save" him anyway!

Taking a deep breath, he looked down at the water, his vision swimming already - o-oh, dear, maybe this was a bad idea anyway… What if the cable broke or something and Alfred didn't come?! He wasn't exactly a _strong _swimmer - he'd drown! This was just as stupid as the building idea he had yesterday!

_I need to stop being so stupid!_ Arthur scolded himself. _I can find another way to clear this up without communicating with him, so I should just go!_ He nodded firmly, and moved to go untie himself from the bridge. When he did, however, a car drove past the bridge - twenty miles over the speed limit - and scared the poor Brit so much that he slipped off the edge of the bridge, and began his plummet to the water.

_Shit, not again!_

And just like before, he was scooped up into the muscle bound arms of the ever present force in his life, The Hero - or just plain ol' Alfred, who was giving him a rather… Flustered and annoyed look.

"Would you stop trying to off yourself! I was trying to sell a - I-I mean," he coughed as if something was in his throat and blushed darkly through his mask. "I-I was busy saving little Timmy from a well! So quit attempting suicide already!"

"I'm not attempting suicide!" Arthur yelled, feeling annoyed himself. "I just don't know how else to contact you…! Get a damn cell phone!"

"I have a damn cell phone! Quit making me worried!" The Hero stopped flying to float and give a tired sigh, holding Arthur closer and leaning in more so that their lips were only a few inches apart. And Arthur couldn't help but notice the overly concerned look in those handsome, baby blues -

_No! Stop!_

"Th-this is what I wanted to talk with you about!" The journalist pushed the superhero's head away, looking down to hide his own. "I-I'm sure you've read the newspapers…! I'm worried I could lose my job because of that stupid morning headline, so I want you to clear this up somehow!"

"By trying to throw yourself off a bridge?!" The Hero practically yelled in concern as he furrowed his brows and pressed their foreheads together, his hot breath tickling down Arthur's neck again - damn himself for not wearing a scarf! "How's that gonna solve anything!?"

"_I didn't know how else to get in touch with you!_" Arthur repeated, reluctantly pushing his head away. "And someone could be taking pictures right now you idiot…! They're going to completely misunderstand! And they'd listen to you more than me, so…!"

The Hero touched down on the ground, placing Arthur down onto his feet and then… Flying off without a word, leaving Arthur speechless.

… The worst part was, he wasn't sure if anything would be solved by this, and since he _still didn't have "The HERO'S" _ bloody number, he couldn't just _call him_ next time they needed to chat!

Arthur felt so frustrated, he started pulling his hair out and swearing at the night sky. He _couldn't_ see him again - if he did something so dangerously stupid _one more time_, people _would_ think he was suicidal…!

A-and then his daughter… Could be taken away from him by social workers -!

Arthur shivered, calming down from that dismal thought. He moved to hug himself and stare at the ground with a sigh. He couldn't let that happen… Looks like he was on his own, then - he wouldn't be getting The Hero's help anytime soon.

Well, it's not like he needed it anyway!

* * *

**Annzy**: I hope you enjoyed that newspaper article as much as I did XD

**Knux**: Yeah! I enjoyed it! Almost as much as I enjoyed going back to school! *Canned laughter* Though in all seriousness, I'm saying that I did love what we write because I do love going to school! Having an education is a great thing! :3

**Annzy**: I second that notion ^^ After all, with an education comes more knowledge, and with more knowledge comes more realistic stories! :D YAY LEARNING!

**Knux**: *Pops some poppers* And yeah! New year and stuff! Wooooooot!

**Annzy**: Yeah! :D I hope everyone enjoyed their New Years! We both went to parties XD did you guys do?

**Knux**: Draw more Omakes I guess? XDD *Shrugs loudly in the distance*

**Annzy**: Hey, that's a good thing! XD

Anyway, thanks for reading, favoriting, following, and reviewing! :)

**Knux**: Oui! Oui!

**Annzy**: There's more to come in the plan~ So I hope you enjoy it! :)


	7. Dinner For Two, or Maybe Five

"Arma! Do we have any more of the nice placemats that I haven't put in the wash because of you?!" Alfred hollered with a laugh as he placed the nice ham he had roasted all day on the center of the table. Ham, corn on the cob, and mashed potatoes! It would taste divine! No one would be able to resist his home cooked meals!

And for dessert, well, it was apple pie! Obviously!

"Oui, papa!" Armel returned with a laugh of his own, two of his little boy running into the kitchen carrying two placemats each. "Here you go!" Their voice echoed as one, which sounded awesome yet oddly terrifying at the same time.

Making him give his son an amused look as he leaned down and took the placemats, hugging "both his sons" and giving them noogies as best as he could, "Are we wanting to have multiples tonight over for dinner?" He chuckled. "I didn't make that much food, you know!"

"That's okay, Papa!" One of them said while the other laughed. "WE ARE ONE!" As soon as he said the cry, three more multiples appeared and started running around. "WE ACT AS OOOOONE!"

Alfred laughed and gave a little smirk as he rounded them all up with super speed and returned them forcibly to his son. "So, how about we just have one of you tonight then?" He gave a wink, "For poor little Francine's sake?"

That name... Anytime he said that lately it started to sound more familiar, other than it being similar to his dead "wife's." It made him curious…

It was if it were like some sort of déja vú? Was that it?

He wasn't sure why it would feel like that! After all, he and Françoise had only had Armel before she passed away! They had never had a daughter!

Right?

Well, anyways, ignoring the odd feelings inside of him, Alfred hugged his son and kissed his cheeks with another warm chuckle. "Now, go wash your hands and face before dinner." He released his son and went back into the kitchen to go get the side dishes, simultaneously calling over his shoulder while his son ran upstairs, "And don't forget to wear something presentable!"

"Pony socks, away!" Armel shouted joyfully as he jumped into his room, attempting to fly and falling to the ground instead with a thud. "I'm okay!"

Alfred laughed and couldn't help but give a fond smile at the bowl of corn he was carrying. Like Father, like son, eh?

_Ding dong!_

Oh! And it seemed his favorite Father-Daughter pair was at his door right now!

Setting the side dishes down, Alfred went up right to the door, ignoring the frilly apron that was still tied around his waist. Sure, it didn't match with the sweater he was wearing from Fall three years ago, or the designer jeans he had bought on a drunken whim with his wife once, but hey! It gave him… _character_~

"What in the world are you _wearing?_" Arthur asked as soon as he opened the door, laughing and adjusting Francine in his arms. He was dressed very neatly, with a vertically striped green shirt and khaki pants, and Francine looked absolutely adorable in her poofy, pink dress with a matching pink bonnet that kept her long, blonde curls out of her face! Who knew Arthur had such a good sense of style for his baby!

"I just got done working in the kitchen, Artie!" Alfred laughed humoredly as he let Arthur and Francine inside his house and shut the door behind them. "I always use this apron! It was Françoise's!"

Arthur tensed up at that, though Alfred wasn't sure why. "... Your wife, you mean?" he asked quietly, turning to look at him.

Furrowing a brow in confusion, Alfred continued to smile as he gave a slow nod. "Yes - Françoise was my wife's name, Arthur…"

"Oh, well…" He tried to ease the atmosphere by giving a light laugh. "What a coincidence, wouldn't you say?"

Alfred seemed to ease up as well and gave a light laugh. "Yes yes! Very odd?" He smiled warmly and wiped his hands on his apron, "Well, maybe I should tell you more about her…?"

Arthur seemed to think about that for a minute, and he looked at Francine for half of that time. Finally, he smiled and nodded. "I think I'd like that very much…"

Alfred nodded and leaned in, whispering softly into Arthur's ear, "I'll have to tell you after dinner, it's…" He seemed to tense up at that. "Ah, well, it's a bit… _Complicated._"

"That's okay." Was it just Alfred, or was Arthur blushing a little? "Maybe I'll… tell you a bit of complications in my past, as well."

* * *

Arthur had seemed a bit reluctant to leave his daughter with Armel, but after he and his Father convinced the troubled Brit that Francine would be left in good hands with the young boy, Arthur had finally given in and let Armel take Francine to go play while the two adults made their way upstairs to have a nice long chat….

A long chat Arthur had been dying to hear Alfred's side of! He'd know who Francine's proper mother was now! Not that he could really, well, have her _meet_ her mother, but… it would still be nice to be able to tell Francine _something_ when she was older!

"So," Arthur said as they walked into what appeared to be a room full of paintings. Paintings on the walls, right near the tall windows. Boxes and cabinets seem to hold mysterious contents inside. Almost in the middle of the room was a piano, with a violin case on top… Next to a vase of flowers. "I love this room!"

Alfred gave a weak laugh and nodded, pushing some boxes aside as he gestured over to some chairs covered by a tarp. "If you could just take that off while I get the photo albums - I apologize -"

"Don't," Arthur interrupted, walking over to the chairs with a smile. "There's nothing you need to apologize for!"

Alfred felt his lip quiver and his throat tighten at that as he turned away, pretending to take something out of a box or a cabinet. He wasn't…

He was just trying not to cry in front of his now_ best _friend. If he did, he wasn't sure what he'd do.

"Thanks…. Here, I think I found them."

"Great!" Arthur sat down in one of the now-uncovered chairs, smiling encouragingly at him. "I'd love to see them."

Alfred nodded, back still turned for a moment.

He had been meaning to pack all of her stuff away… Maybe… Put it in storage somewhere. He just wished it wasn't in his house.

It reminded him of how he couldn't really move on.

"Here." He sat down next to Arthur and flipped open one of the photo albums with a stretched smile. "Let's start at the beginning."

Arthur felt his breath being taken away as Alfred opened to the beginning, a picture of a _beautiful_ girl sitting on Alfred's front porch stairs placed in the inside cover. Her smile was so gentle, and her wispy, blonde hair framed her face in an angelic way, but her eyes were the best in the picture - they looked so caring, so loving… "This was… your wife?" he asked, looking up at Alfred. "She was beautiful!"

Alfred felt himself blush, his slightly harden heart melting as he gazed down at the picture. W-well… He did have to admit, Françoise was radiantly beautiful… "Yeah… She was… But that isn't everything about her - she was more than just beauty." He flipped the page slowly to a picture of the two in high school. Alfred looked like a seasoned jock out on the field while his wife looked like the cutest, most precious of cheerleaders you could ever hope to see! She even had braces! "She was my high school sweetheart. Graduated with a 3.8 average and decided she wanted to go to college and be a therapist."

"That sounds great," Arthur said softly, smiling at him. "You look cute together."

Alfred felt that giddy feeling inside him again as he blushed and gave a small, flustered little smile. "She always did love it when I pulled her close and called her my snuggle bear~" He let Arthur flip the page this time, a bit too caught up in his memories to notice his reaction to the next picture.

Which was incredibly flustered, as the next pictures was, well… a _pinup_ of his wife. He figured Alfred wouldn't want him to see that one and quickly turned to the next page.

Which was one of them as children and… Well, Françoise looked a bit…. _Funny_. Françoise seemed to look a bit… _Boyish_. "Was she a tomboy when she was younger…?" Arthur asked Alfred, smiling at him again.

He watched Alfred's warmer demeanor drop as he seemed to break out into a cold sweat and quickly flip to a different page. "U-uh….-!"

"Alfred?" Arthur raised a brow at him and gently reached over to turn the page back to the one where they were children. "What is it? You can tell me, you know…"

He watched Alfred's eyes glaze over with pain as he slowly rolled them down to point out something in the picture. "Do you see another child there that looks like the more boyish one?"

"Um…" Arthur looked again, not entirely understanding what he meant. "It's just you and her, right?"

Then he saw it, a bit in the background was a child that looked almost exactly like Françoise.

But looked more like a _girl._

"Ah, so _this _one is your wife!" Arthur said, pointing to her and giving Alfred a confused smile. "Right?"

Alfred shook his head, and Arthur noticed tears in the corners of his eyes.

"Oh, don't cry…" Arthur leaned over to wipe his tears gently with his thumb. He felt like he understood… a little bit. "So… your wife, was a boy, who liked to dress as a girl…?"

Tears were flowing now, as Alfred shook his head and confessed what he had always wanted to admit to someone - just _anyone._

_His wife was a transvestite. _

Arthur had actually taken the news pretty well. He was surprised, obviously, but he smiled pretty soon after the news. "Hey, why the long face? That's nothing to cry over… You loved her, right?"

"It's not just that, it's…." Alfred took a deep breath and swallowed, tensing and now gripping one of Arthur's hands. He felt like an idiot - couldn't even keep it together in front of someone he-he -!

No, he couldn't think that while staring at pictures of his old flame. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if he did. "She had a twin sister…. And, well," his eyes darted about. "S-she donated her egg to let us have Armel…."

Alfred felt himself being pulled into a hug, along with a gentle hand rubbing up and down his back. "There's nothing wrong with that, you know…" Arthur told him softly. "It's okay."

"Nothing wrong with it except she blames me for the death of her sister," Alfred almost spat, a bitter tinge to his words. "We haven't spoken since she died - I haven't spoken to any of her family, to be quite honest, in a very long time."

"... Oh." Arthur sighed a little and sat back, cupping one of his cheeks and looking into his eyes. "... You know it _isn't_ your fault though, right?"

Alfred didn't give him an answer as he stood up to go put the albums away, a mixture of emotions plastered onto his face.

And Arthur wasn't sure exactly what they were.

He sat there for a moment, considering his options. He could push Alfred to tell him everything else, or he could let it drop and talk about something lighter, or he could talk about himself a bit… Considering the look on Alfred's face, and Arthur's own feelings, perhaps the third option would be better?

He knew that, maybe, after awhile, he might get to learn more about Françoise… But, for now, this seemed like a good enough, almost therapeutic session for Alfred tonight.

"... Would you like to hear about my wife?" he asked quietly, leaning into the chair and smiling softly. "I don't usually like talking about it either, but…"

Alfred practically whipped around as he stared into Arthur's eyes, shock etched onto his features. To be perfectly honest, even though he knew the other had a child… He never expected him to have had or have a _wife._

It made him feel guilty, very guilty, for hitting on him as The Hero.

"S-sure."

Arthur took a deep, calming breath when he said that simple word. "... Well…" He shifted in his seat. "She was a nice girl… pretty, Irish, smart, the total package." He frowned and looked down at the ground. "We were… happy, I suppose. We both wanted children more than anything, and we tried for a straight year to get one. Every attempt… failed." He took another breath and gripped the armrests tightly. "We decided to go to the doctor, to find out why we weren't expecting a baby already, and we discovered that I…" Oh, God, now _he_ felt like crying. "I'm… not _able_ to have children. Never was, never will be - they're blank. I figured we could just adopt, but Elizabeth didn't like the idea… She divorced me soon after."

Arthur felt hands grip his own tightly. That warm breath was now tickling his _neck_ as Alfred rested his face in the crook of Arthur's neck and shifted to hug him tight, trying to comfort him.

"_Why…?_" He whispered, sounding ready to start crying again. "W-why? How can someone be so-so -!"

"She wanted her own kids," Arthur said simply, smiling sadly and putting his arms around Alfred to hug him back. "Not someone else's… I didn't care, obviously, but…" He sighed a little and cut to the chase. "I applied to so many orphanages once I was single, and, well… at first it seemed they deemed me as unfit to raise a child for being a single man - I sometimes wonder if I had been a single woman it would have been different… And, you know, at that time…" He sighed and muttered quietly, "Maybe I was a little… suicidal, but mainly just desperate. I had only wanted _one thing_ my entire life - children, and it seemed like I was never going to get them."

Alfred shifted to gaze sorrowfully into Arthur's eyes. "A-and Francine?"

Arthur smiled and looked into his eyes. "... I didn't give up, and decided to try adopting from another country. So, I went to France, and, well… here I am, with the daughter I've always wanted."

Alfred let tears stream down his face as he closed his eyes and sniffled. "T-that is-is so beautiful!" He hugged Arthur tightly and hid his face against his neck. "I-I'm so happy for you!"

"... Y-yeah…" All of a sudden, Arthur felt a sickening guilt twist and crush his gut. He knew Alfred would _not_ be happy with him if he knew the truth… and yet here he was, making him _cry_ over him! _Him_, whom Alfred really, actually _hated_! Or _should_ hate, at least!

… He had to lock those feelings away though, right? All of this guilt and grief… For the sake of his happiness, and for the sake of Alfred's obliviousness. The truth could never be revealed, and it was going to stay that way. Kept in the dark, for only him to ever know.

* * *

**Annzy**: Dramatic talks, yaaay XD TRUST-BUILDING.

**Knux**: But the building of trust… *TOCCATA AND FUGUE IN D MINOR PLAYS* IS IMPORTANT! XDD

**Annzy**: Yes indeedy do! Because without trust the relationship will crumble! You think Arthur would know that XD

**Knux:** _Iknowthatweknowthat-~ ;D_

**Annzy**: Poor babies~

I hope you guys are still enjoying the story! ^^ There's still more to come for a few chapters!

**Knux:** Oui oui! Indeed there is so stay in tune! Oh! And another thing I forgot to mention, but a little bit of advertising here! We've started a Facebook page! Want to see some artwork I've made for the story, or submit fanart of this story to us or ask for more Easter eggs and other goodies? Why not like it up and see what kind of EXTRAS YOU ALL CAN FIND~ Ooooooo! Or not and make us sad? *Shrugs* I just hope people will like it! I stayed up a long time to make it. XD The link is in our profile!

**Annzy**: Have fun, everyone! :) And stay warm!


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